CANELLATION OF KALABAGH DAM : A VICTORY FOR PEOPLE IN PAKISTAN
BOOST TO STRUGGLES AGAINST LARGE DAMS IN SOUTH ASIA

We congratulate the people of Pakistan, and particularly the people of
Sindh province, for their victory in compelling their government cancel the
ill-conceived Kalabagh dam and safeguard the life, resources and rights of
the common people. It is the sheer determination, constant action and
resistance on part of the people and the ingenuity of converting it into a
larger issue for the nation, which made the government to take such an
unprecedented step.

We appreciate the constant work done by the various activists,
organisations and the affected people in Sindh and other parts of
Pakistan. Their work has compelled the political parties to join the
protests against the dam. This is a classic example of how the people's
politics can mould the conventional politics. This has also given a boost
to the struggles in other parts of Asia, where the people have been
resisting the unjust displacement and destruction. In the Narmada valley,
people are resisting the Sardar Sarovar and Maheshwar projects. The people
are prepared to face the unjust submergence in Narmada Satyagraha. The
people's victory in Kalabagh reinforces the determination and resistance
against the destructive dams in Narmada valley and elsewhere in Asia and
Third World countries.

The people's movements in South Asia have been resisting the development
fundamentalism of the political elite in the respective countries. The
struggle in Narmada valley, against Kalabagh, Arun, Mahaveli, Pak Mun or
other such Projects are the symptoms of such exploration of the sustainable
and equitable development paradigm. The South Asian countries, including
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, have to chart out
the different course for the water management and the overall
development.Only then the common people would have true liberty and freedom
from the internal colonisation. This would safeguard already scarce natural
resources of these countries.

The people in Sindh, and Pakistan in general, will have to be vigilant
about the so called alternative arrangements, like Bhasha project- by the
rulers. Still there may be a possibility of bring back the project through
backdoor or having similar project elsewhere of equally disastrous
proportions. This too will have to be resisted. It is the time for the
organisations and people's groups to harp on the sane and sustainable
solutions for the water and land management. We call unto the government of
Pakistan, the WAPDA and other concerned agencies, to abandon the
conventional ways of large dams for water and land management and implement
the contemporary modes of sustainable, equitable and decentralized options,
with the meaningful and decisive participation of the affected people and
their organisations.

We call, here from the Satyagraha place on the banks of Narmada, for a new
solidarity among all the people in South Asia, for a sane, equitable,
sustainable and people oriented development and peace.